Speech of Dr. Nadine Abou Zaki
Executive Chair of the “New Arab Woman Forum (NAWF)”
H.E. Mrs. Bahiya Al Hariri, Honorary President of the Forum and representative of Mrs. Wafaa Michel Sleiman,
H.E. Minister Tamam Salam,
H.E. Mrs. Mona Hrawi,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Today and after three years of listening to you and meditating about your concerns in an effort to respond to your aspirations and propositions, I’d like to tell what we are and what we are not. The NAWF is not a platform for pessimism where women play the role of victim. It is a place for optimism and interaction, where creative ideas are born and discussed in depth to be launched later on into our space. We are a space of democracy and dialogue. We are a space of freedom.
We tackle issues of interest to women, issues of the hour. But the forum is you; it is distinguished by your presence, the presence of each man and woman, from all cultures, fields and activities. Power stems from diversity and plurality. You are the power.
Are you calling for more power? Is there any doubt in female power? Aren’t women the backbone of power?
Are you calling for freedom? Yes and more than ever. Yes and from all taboos.
Are you calling for independence? Sure, but not in the modern sense of independence from the other. Independence is to be free of our ignorance of the nature of the other.
Are you calling for liberty? Of course, irrespective of what you choose. The important thing is to dare to choose and shoulder the responsibility of that choice.
Are you calling for equality? What right is more important than that of equality? But not the kind of equality that eliminates differences, uniqueness and singularity.
Our struggle aims to give concrete expression to differences, even going beyond them. Our struggle is not just for women. It is a struggle for free citizenship, a struggle for women as women and men as men, a struggle for the human being, a struggle for humanity.
